Ashoka University Summer Course

We are delighted to announce an exciting opportunity to attend a 6-week summer programme (06 July to 14 August 2026) at Ashoka University in India.

Find out more about Ashoka University

Tomb of Isa Khan at Humayun’s Tomb, Delhi, India

Ashoka University Summer Programme Overview

We are delighted to announce two exciting opportunities at Ashoka University this summer: the Ashoka International Summer Research Programme (AISRP) and the Summer Courses Programme at Ashoka. If you are interested in the AISRP, please see Ashoka University Summer Research. To apply for Summer Courses Programme, please follow the guidance below.

Two Turing part-funded places are available for this programme for undergraduate Widening Participation students only. The application form is in the purple section at the bottom of this page. The deadline for applications is 15 March 2026 23:59.

The Summer Course Programme

Students will take one course from the summer semester programme available from the prospective list

Courses run from 06 July to 14 August 2026. Students will receive an official transcript on successful completion of the programme.

Accommodation, Campus Facilities and Support

All international visiting students are guaranteed campus accommodation in fully-furnished residence halls. Rooms are provided on double-occupancy basis. Single room accommodation is not available. Visiting international students are housed with Ashoka students to encourage intercultural exchange. Students receive 4 meals a day (breakfast, lunch, dinner and evening snack) at the dining facilities of Ashoka.

A transfer service from the Airport to Ashoka University will be provided and all students on the programme will be paired with a student from Ashoka to provide informal help and guidance.

Further information is available at Ashoka University's Summer Programme website.

What are the costs?

The fee for the 6-week programme (one course) is USD 3195 (approx. £2400). This includes tuition fees, accommodation, meals and campus facilities but does NOT include travel costs.

What funding is available?

Two places are available to Widening Participation students only. Each student selected will receive Turing funding composed of:

Living cost grant: £21 per day (£861 total) towards the fee for the programme
Travel grant: up to a maximum of £745 (reclaimable against receipts)
Additionally the balance between the grant amount and the fee for the programme will be covered in full by Durham University.

You must meet certain Widening Participation criteria to be eligible. Students’ eligibility for support will be assessed as part of the application process.

Fair Access

Fair Access: This initiative is open to any Durham student who meets the eligibility criteria. Expressions of interest are particularly welcomed from students from backgrounds where participation in study or work abroad is traditionally low. This includes students who: have received or are eligible for the Durham Grant Scheme; have participated in the Supported Progression Scheme or Sutton Trust Summer school at Durham University; are from a minority ethnic group; have a home address in an area of low progression to higher education (i.e. your postcode is listed '1' or '2' in the Polar checking tool.

Widening Participation

For the purposes of funding, the University's definition of Widening Participation includes:

Students with a low (parental) household income or low socio-economic status (including those with an annual household income of £25,000 or less)
Students with a medium-low (parental) household income or low socio-economic status (including those with an annual household income of £25,001 to £47,200)
Students receiving Universal Credit or income-related benefits because they are financially supporting themselves or financially supporting themselves and someone who is dependent on them and living with them, such as a child or partner
Students who are care-experienced
Students who have caring responsibilities
Neither of the students’ parents can be found or it is not reasonably practicable to get in touch with either of them (estranged students)
Refugees and asylum seekers

How to Apply

Eligibility

Interested students need to meet the following eligibility criteria. At the point of expressing interest in this initiative students must:

Meet Widening Participation criteria;
Have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or above on a 4.0 scale, or equivalent;
Have one full year of study remaining at the time of the summer school (summer 2026);
Be able to spend 6 weeks from 6 July to 14 August 2026 in India

Application Process

Please note that completing the 'register to apply' form is only the first step of a longer two-step application process. Students must:

Apply to Durham, who will select two students to nominate to Ashoka.
The nominated student will then have to complete an application with Ashoka.

1. Application to Durham

The application form (in the purple section of this page) will ask for:

Personal details
Name of the course you wish to undertake (see: tentative list of Summer Courses)
Upload of a Transcript of Marks indicating that you meet the GPA requirement;
Declaration of whether you meet the University's Widening Participation criteria
Short personal statement

Durham application deadline: 15 March 2026 (23:59 GMT)

Selection by Durham

All applications will be vetted by Durham to ensure that they meet the eligibility criteria. Each eligible application will be given a unique number with successful applications selected using a random number generator. Students will be notified whether they have been successful after 16 March 2026.

2. Application to Ashoka

The selected student will need to apply to Ashoka by 15 May 2026, providing the following:

CV/Resume
Latest academic transcript
Statement of purpose (motivation to apply for the programme, max 500 words)
Letter of recommendation from an academic staff (a professor/lecturer)
Copy of passport

Following your nomination, the application portal can be accessed here: Application portal.

Click on New Registration --- Choose Visiting Student Programme (international students) --- then choose I wish to visit Ashoka University for* Summer Semester.

Then continue and register for the Visiting Student Programme. Once registered, the system will guide students to fill in the online form with the required information.

Ashoka application deadline: 15 May 2026 (11.55PM IST)

Register to Apply

To apply, please complete the following application form. The deadline to apply is 15 March 2026 (23:59). To be fair to all applicants, late applications will not be accepted.

Click here to apply (DU students only)

Visa and insurance

All international students will require a visa for India. Once accepted, students receive a visa support letter from Ashoka University. It is mandatory that international students have health insurance coverage for India. More information on visas on the Government of India website.

Please Note: It is mandatory that students complete Durham's predeparture processes, including VIATOR travel cover and the health declaration form.

For further information please email: exchanges.studyabroad@durham.ac.uk